IIT JEE , AIEEE Forum - Chemistry , Physical Chemistry

punnima

i think its this:
The hydrogen 4 d NH3 synthesis was made by d water-gas process (a Carl Bosch invention) which involves blowing steam through a bed of red hot coke resulting in d separation of hydrogen from oxygen. The nitrogen was obtained by distillation of liquid air, then by cooling and compressing air.

These days, the hydrogen is produced by reforming light petroleum fractions or natural gas (methane, CH4) by adding steam:
CH4(g) + H2O(g) Ni catalyst CO(g) + 3H2(g)
---------->
700*C

Enough steam is used to react with about 45% of the methane (CH4), the rest of the methane is reacted with air:
2CH4(g) + O2(g) + 4N2(g)
(air) Ni catalyst
---------> 2CO(g) + 4H2(g) + 4N2(g)

All the carbon monoxide (CO) in the mixture is oxidised to CO2 using steam and an iron oxide catalyst:
CO(g) + H2O(g) iron oxide catalyst H2(g) + CO2(g)
------------------>

The carbon dioxide (CO2) is removed using a suitable base so that only the nitrogen gas (N2) and hydrogen gas (H2) remain and are used in the production of ammonia (NH3).

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